


Puppet Master

by elizabethemerald



Series: ATLA Stories [7]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26070526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabethemerald/pseuds/elizabethemerald
Summary: If Katara tried to talk to Hama after their duel, and offered her a chance to help them.
Relationships: Hama & Katara (Avatar)
Series: ATLA Stories [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768270
Comments: 18
Kudos: 46





	Puppet Master

The cell door slammed behind Katara as she walked in. 

“You’re crazy if you want to talk to that witch.” The guard said as they locked the door. 

“Thank you.” Katara said softly, not looking at him. 

“Are you here for another lesson Katara?”

She focused on the dark corner of the cell, where the scratchy voice came from. There laying in the dark, against the back wall, was an old woman, with long gray hair. 

“I just want to talk Hama.” Katara said, staying well back from the bars. 

The old water bender leaned forward into the light. She smiled at Katara. 

“And what would you like to talk about?”

Her smile seemed almost warm. Katara steeled herself, talking to Hama felt like talking to her Gran-gran, it made her feel safe, like she didn’t have to be on guard all the time. However dropping her guard around one of the most powerful waterbenders she had ever faced, and the only other bender capable of bloodbending, would be a mistake. 

“I want to understand.” Katara sat down on a stool near, but not too close, to the bars. 

“What’s to understand?” Hama said dismissively. “The Fire Nation tried to exterminate us. Imprisoned and tortured me for decades. I escaped and brought their war right back to them.”

“But the people you took didn’t have anything to do with the war!” Katara snapped. “Toph talked to them, you were taking random citizens!”

“What does it matter?” Hama crawled forward as close as her chains would allow. “They are Fire Nation! The same people who have been killing our people!”

Katara growled in frustration. “Spirits! I’ve already had this same argument with Jet. They were civilians! Kidnapping the baker’s boy isn’t going to end the war! You weren’t even targeting the Fire Nation army or generals!”

She found herself on her feet, breathing heavily. Hama remained silent. Seemingly lost in thought. Katara started to pace in front of the cell. 

“I want to end the war too! My mother was killed by the Fire Nation. Everyone I know has been hurt by the war. But at some point the world needs to return to balance. And we can’t end the war like this!”

“Is-” Hama hesitated. “Is your problem with my bloodbending, the victims I chose?”

Katara turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“I don’t like the idea of bloodbending. I don’t want to impose my will on someone else.” She said, addressing the wall of the cell rather it’s occupant. “Sokka always tells me I care too much for others. Even the people of the Fire Nation. He always wants me to be more strategic, but I can’t do that. I can’t and won’t stand aside and let anyone get hurt if I can help it.”

“I am going to end this war.” Katara said turning back to Hama, staring her down. “I’ve seen too much of it’s devastation first hand to not want it to end. But I can’t agree with your methods.”

“Katara, you’ve fought firebenders before.” Hama said. It wasn’t a question. “If I targeted the military elite, just like you do, would you feel better about it.”

“I suppose so.” Katara said. “It still felt wrong to try and control you, even though it saved my friends.”

“If you studied bloodbending as I have, I’m sure you would fine some other ways to utilize it.”

Katara thought for a moment before speaking. “There really is no point in imprisoning you is there? If they put you in any regular prison you will water bend your way out. And in any specialty prison you could bloodbend out.”

Hama leaned towards the rail, a curious smile on her face.

“What are you thinking, Katara?”

Rather than answer, Katara pulled water from the air, slicing open the cell and parting Hama’s manacles. Hama stood, rubbing her wrists, then pulled up short. Katara had an ice knife inches from her face. 

“The only way stop you is to have another master waterbender near you. You won’t be able to control me, even during the full moon. And I can out bend you any other day. It’s the only way to keep you safe, and to keep others safe from you.”

“And where will you imprison me?” Hama said, eyeing her suspiciously. 

“I’m not going to. You’ve spent enough time in cages.” Katara said, her eye’s steely. “You’re going to come with us, help us end the war. And I’ll be there to keep you from killing any innocents. And if I even sense you trying to bloodbend either me or my friends I Will stop you.”

Katara glared at Hama for a few more moments. 

“Now come on. We need to get you away before the guards come back.” Katara turned away and began walking down the hall. As she did she muttered to herself quietly. “This is going to be hard to explain to the others.”

Some time later, off the coast of the Earth Kingdom. 

A ship of the Fire Nation Navy sailed under full steam. On board were weapons and soldiers, bound for the front lines. Over head the full moon shone down with a pale light. Katara carefully observed the ship from Appa’s back. The bison was hidden by a fog bank that Aang and Katara controlled. 

After a soldier walked past the railing on a patrol she fixed her mask over her face and nodded. A wave swooped up next to Appa taking Katara and another to the edge of the ship, where they could both jump onto the deck. Katara turned to Hama, who hadn’t bothered with a mask. 

“No unnecessary killing.” Katara ordered. 

Hama merely shrugged. 

“As you wish, Katara.” 

The two women snuck across the deck to the helm of the ship. Hama stopped when she caught sight of the helmsman. 

“I have him.” Hama whispered. 

“Do it.” 

Katara pulled more moisture from the air around them, thickening the fog bank. They were hidden from the view, though Hama still had a clear view of the helmsman. 

Hama began waving her arms back and forth as the pilot stiffened, twitching, helpless against her bloodbending. He grabbed the wheel of the vessel and began turning the ship hard to starboard. Katara braced herself as the ship tilted to the side, now running directly for the shore. 

A soldier standing at the bow saw the approaching shore and turned to call a warning. Katara reached out with a water whip, freezing him in place. She looked past him to see the rocks ahead. 

“Remember the plan. A glancing blow.” Katara said, turning back to Hama. 

The bloodbender ignored her, focusing on the helmsman for a moment. Just when Katara was preparing to have another water duel with her, Hama relaxed her grip on the sailor allowing him to try and correct. He was far too late to stop the crash, but he was able to minimize the impact. 

Katara and Hama were already running for the rail as the ship shuttered and the metal shrieked as the rocks, sharpened by Toph’s earthbending, pierced the hull. They both jumped free as Fire Nation soldiers were flung to the deck from the impact. They landed on the swell of a massive wave them flung them further into the air. Seemingly out of nowhere Appa swooped down to catch them both. 

“Now that was more excitement than I’ve had in decades!” Hama laughed to herself. 

Katara glanced at her before returning her attention to the ship and crew. The ship wouldn’t sail again, but it looked the crew would be able to get to shore without trouble. Another ship stopped meant another ship that wouldn’t be able to attack the resistance in the Earth Kingdom. 

After she felt assured that the mission was successful without any loss of life she turned back to Hama and smiled at her. She was rewarded by a warm smile in return. 

“Well done Katara.” Hama said to her, her smile wrinkling the corners of her eyes. 

**Author's Note:**

> I've seen a lot of people talk about Hama and how she deserved better after everything she went through. So this is my take. My personal opinion is that Hama doesn't actually need a "redemption arc" the only person she really needs to redeem herself before is Katara. I feel like when she spends some more time with the Gaang, she might realize that maybe its a little extreme to ask and expect a 14 yo to murder. I think after a few missions with the Gaang, she meets up with Katara's dad to wreck Fire Nation ships.  
> Also I've studied first aid and provided emergency medical care for most of my life, so the idea of using bloodbending in a positive life saving way is very interesting to me. Like being able to sense the blood in a person's body and tell when they are having a heart attack or stroke, and being able to bend the blood to save their life. Or performing surgery while a bloodbender keeps the blood flowing.


End file.
